Abstract
Background: Bifidobacteria are commensal microbes of the mammalian gastrointestinal tract. In this study, we aimed to identify the intestinal colonization mechanisms and key metabolic pathways implemented by Bifidobacterium dentium. Results: B. dentium displayed acid resistance, with high viability over a pH range from 4 to 7; findings that correlated to the expression of Na+/H+ antiporters within the B. dentium genome. B. dentium was found to adhere to human MUC2+ mucus and harbor mucin-binding proteins. Using microbial phenotyping microarrays and fully-defined media, we demonstrated that in the absence of glucose, B. dentium could metabolize a variety of nutrient sources. Many of these nutrient sources were plant-based, suggesting that B. dentium can consume dietary substances. In contrast to other bifidobacteria, B. dentium was largely unable to grow on compounds found in human mucus; a finding that was supported by its glycosyl hydrolase (GH) profile. Of the proteins identified in B. dentium by proteomic analysis, a large cohort of proteins were associated with diverse metabolic pathways, indicating metabolic plasticity which supports colonization of the dynamic gastrointestinal environment. Conclusions: Taken together, we conclude that B. dentium is well adapted for commensalism in the gastrointestinal tract.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | 154 |
Journal | BMC Microbiology |
Volume | 21 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 2021 |
Keywords
- Acid stress
- Bifidobacteria
- Carbohydrates
- Commensal
- Glycans
- Intestine
- Metabolism
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Microbiology
- Microbiology (medical)